After the Clayface
by history101
Summary: Post series. Ethan Bennett, ex-detective turned criminal, turned recovering mutated patient has his own inner battles to deal with. Now, it is believed, Ethan is cured of his affliction and he and Bruce shoot hoops in the park. They discuss life, good and evil, girls and kids -  just a philosophic conversation between friends. For 'The Batman' universe of Warner Bros series of 2004


A.N. Basically this is just a one shot that takes place after the cartoon, since I was disappointed that after the episode 'Clayfaces' Ethan just disappears, this is is what I think should have happened.

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Bruce Wayne and Ethan Bennett tossed a basketball to each other on one half of the court in the Gotham Park talking to each other with relative ease. Barbra Gordon, Dick Grayson and three of his friends occupied the other half of the court and were throwing their own basketball in the hoop.

It was a warm day with a clear blue sky and a cool breeze rustled the summer leaves on the trees and people gathered in the park to make the most of the day. Many stopped and stared at billionaire Bruce Wayne playing basketball with an ex-criminal with Bruce's adopted son and some other children on the same court. But they were ignored, Bruce was used to dealing with the public and Dick was no different, Ethan on the other hand found the attention unnerving.

"So where are you staying?" Bruce asked him after a while.

"Old apartment block downtown; the landlady doesn't ask many questions and the rent's low," Ethan replied with slight bitterness.

"You could've stayed..."

"Nah, Bruce, we've been through this, I can't, you know what happened last time. I appreciate you tryin' to help me and everything, but I gotta do this my way otherwise no one'll ever trust me again," the man replied. "If you help me out every time I get out it won't convince people that I'm good again."

"But every test we did cleared you, there's no trace of Clayface left in you, it's gone," Bruce said harshly as he threw the ball in the hoop. It bounced down on the ground and rolled to a stop as Ethan looked at him.

"Yeah..." the man sighed.

"You did good, Ethan," Bruce said confidently.

"Not everyone thinks so, Bruce," Ethan sighed and caught the ball as it bounced off the far wall.

"That doesn't matter, they don't know what happened; you do. You stopped Basil Karlo, you didn't have to but you did anyway. You did the right thing, even when people said you wouldn't," Bruce said and his friend smiled back at him.

"Always been there for me, ain't you?" the man asked and threw the ball over to Bruce ah caught it deftly.

"Always will be," the billionaire replied and aimed at the basketball hoop. It landed straight in the hoop and Ethan ran forwards to collect it and throw it back through the hoop again.

"Never pegged you for a dad-type," he remarked after a minute. Ethan looked across the court where Barbra, Dick and his three friends were wrestling over their ball, unlike Bruce and Ethan, their game of basketball was long forgotten.

"I didn't either," Bruce laughed quietly.

"Guess I got some catching up to do them, huh?" the ex-cop, turned ex-criminal smiled nervously.

"We've got the time," Bruce replied optimistically.

"Yeah, yeah we do," Ethan nodded and they walked together to sit at a bench. Ethan tossed the ball to Dick who smiled and turned back to his friends, "Seems like a good kid," he said.

"He is," Bruce replied simply.

"Must've been something serious for you to wanna take a kid in like that,"

"It was," Bruce replied honestly, "As serious as it comes."

"What happened?" his friend asked, leaning forwards on the bench.

"They died...circus...accident, I was there, so was the kid, he saw the whole thing. I know what it's like to be alone like that, how could I walk away?" the billionaire asked, and for a while there was silence.

"You're a good guy, Bruce," Ethan said after a minute, "Don't know many people who'd take a kid in like that; kid's are a lot of work."

"S'not all bad," Bruce replied with a smile.

"Bet the girls love a man with a kid, huh?" Ethan chuckled, hoping to ease up the somber atmosphere on mentioning the tragedy.

"Oh yeah, it's a big ego booster," Bruce laughed, "Don't know why I didn't think of it sooner," he rolled his eyes dramatically.

"You never did need any help with the girls, did you?" the man laughed again and leaned back on the bench again.

"Do I detect a little jealously, Ethan?" Bruce raised an amused eyebrow.

"Nah, man," he shook his head with mock seriousness then looked out at the basketball court, slowly becoming somber once more. "Y'know...I never thought it'd be like this again."

"What?" Bruce asked curiously.

"Normal," his friend answered simply, and with that single word Bruce understood his meaning.

"Sometimes...normal's good," the billionaire smiled.

"Yeah, I know," Ethan said, "But not everything's normal...is it? Not here. Yin says it's been quiet...till the next wacko breaks outta Arkham," he said spitefully. "We should be doin' more than just lockin' 'em up all the time."

"Ethan..."

"Nah, Bruce, it's true. How many times are we gonna have to go through this? The Bat and the police can lock away nut jobs like the Joker day after day, but they always escape. I still want revenge for what he did to me, and sometimes I think the Bat doesn't do enough to stop people like the Joker from doin' stuff like that to people," Ethan said, "But...thing is, I still think the Bat's a good guy, I know he's a good guy, and I know why he did what he did," Ethan told him.

Once again Bruce was conflicted as to whether or not to just tell his friend the truth, but it would be risky at the moment, and it could put Ethan in danger again. "I just wanted to do somethin' good, but I can't go back to the force, and I can't stop criminals as Clayface either."

"Ethan, Clayface did more harm to you than good, I know you had good intentions, but..."

"I know," the man signed sadly.

"Sometimes there's a line people like the Batman and the police don't cross, it makes them better than the Joker or the Penguin or any of them," Bruce replied.

"I used to agree with that...now...after everything...I'm still not sure..." Ethan said quietly.

"Ethan, if we...if the Batman crossed that line then he'd be just as bad, then he would just be a vigilante, he'd be a criminal, just like them, but he's not. You used to think that, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did, but nothing's changed, they're still out there, people are still in danger because we're too busy try'na be better, what if it's not worth it? I know we've been through this before, but it doesn't change anything, Bruce. Things have changed since I was in action with Bats, but Yin's one of the good guys and she's in danger too," Ethan said.

"There are other good cops now too, Gordon's changing the system, he's a good man and he can make Gotham a safer place. He can change things more than the Batman because he's doing it inside the law."

"Yeah...guess well never solve this one, huh?"

"I guess not," Bruce smiled ruefully.

"But Bruce, just tell me one thing...well two things," Ethan said, "Just some things you never answered for me before."

"What?" the billionaire asked warily.

"How can you be so sure of this? I mean, didn't you want revenge about what happened to your parents, the system's still corrupt and it'll take more than a few good cops to change that."

"I know, the man who killed my parents was never caught, but Dick was lucky, the police found Zucco, he won't have to go through what I did. I still want justice for my parents, I always will, but if we change the system then maybe it won't have to happen again," Bruce replied, suddenly remembering a conversation with his foster son.

"Not everyone believes that," Ethan sighed.

"No," Bruce sighed.

"One day," Ethan nodded and the two stood from the bench.

"What was the other thing, Ethan?" Bruce asked.

"...The Batman, you...nah, man, forget it," the man shook his head and then threw his arm around Bruce's shoulder. "Now since I won the game, you owe me a cheese burger," he said with a sudden smile.

"Sure thing, Ethan," Bruce nodded and the two left the park together as they had done many times before, as friends.

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A.N. So, what'd ya think? Be nice and let me know, even if it's only an emoticon :)


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